Lives can change -- or end -- in an instant on Nashville highways. A terrible car accident can seem to come from out of nowhere, especially at night. That's what happened recently on Interstate 40 in Nashville in an accident that left one dead and three others critically injured.
Police said a 24-year-old and his 19-year-old girlfriend were driving a Hyundai Accent on the interstate when a Jeep Wrangler, apparently driving on the wrong side of the road, crashed into them head-on. The 24-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The young woman was critically injured. Two men in the Jeep were also critically injured.
Police said the accident happened at 3:20 a.m., but the Jeep did not have its headlights on. A witness told police that the Jeep had been traveling on the wrong side of the highway. Police said they do not believe that alcohol was a factor in the accident. Eastbound lanes of the highway were blocked for hours after the crash.
Those who have been injured in traffic accidents face huge medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses. When their injuries are the result of a negligent driver, the injured may be compensated for these damages through a personal injury lawsuit.
A negligent driver is one who has not exercised the level of care that a reasonable driver would under similar circumstances and injures someone as a result. Evidence of negligent driving could include driving while drunk or not heeding traffic signs. It could also include driving on the wrong side of a highway.
Nashville residents who have been injured in a car accident due to someone else's negligence should investigate their legal options. The families of those who have been killed in such accidents should do the same.
Source: News Channel 5, "One Killed, Three Injured In Wrong Way Crash On I-40E," May 3, 2013